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E-Alerts: Wage and Hour: Minimum Wage Increase Petition Under Consideration; New Wage Order Guide Available Online

Last month, the Industrial Welfare Commission rejected a labor-backed petition to increase the state minimum wage, currently at $6.75 per hour. The California Labor Federation reintroduced the petition for IWC consideration at a February 21, 2003 public meeting. But the IWC has once again rejected the petition.

E-Alert Item: EEOC Sues Home Depot For Bias

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued Home Depot for sex discrimination. The agency charges that the home-improvement retailer repeatedly rejected a female applicant for various positions at a new Home Depot store in Rialto, near Los Angeles, and hired less-qualified men for the jobs. In response to the lawsuit, Home Depot has denied […]

Short Takes: Recording Phone Calls

I know that California law requires both parties’ consent to record or monitor phone calls. So if we intend to record or monitor incoming phone calls, we need to have a recording that says that the call may be monitored or recorded. However, what if we are calling out to a customer or client? At […]

New York Times: Hardcover Business Bestsellers

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the New York Times on February 5. 1. Jim Cramer’s Stay Mad for Life by James J. Cramer with Cliff Mason. (Simon & Schuster, $26.) The host of “Mad Money” on CNBC explains how to get rich and stay rich. 2. […]

10 Tips to Making Telecommuting a Success

Do you have employees requesting to telecommute to work a few days a week over the summer, or are you looking at telecommuting as part of an emergency response plan? New York City’s CommuterLink (www.commuterlink.com) offers these tips for teleworking success: Present helpful info. To get approval to telework, show your boss the benefit for […]

FMLA’s 20th anniversary: New survey shows use and impact of law

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) observed the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) on February 4 by releasing a survey on its use and impact. The survey, conducted in 2012, follows previous assessments in 1995 and 2000. Both employees and worksites were surveyed. Here are some of […]

News Notes: OFCCP’s Revised Affirmative Action Rules Take Effect

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has issued new affirmative action regulations for federal contractors, the first major overhaul of the program in 30 years. The new rules, which took effect Dec. 13, 2000, simplify some affirmative action plan requirements. But they also mandate that every other year all nonconstruction employers fill out an […]

Brinker Decision Pushes Meal, Rest Breaks Top of Conversation

Last week, the California Supreme Court issued an opinion in a closely watched case dealing with meal and rest breaks for employees. Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court clarified meal and rest break practices for employers in California; however, the case is generating interest in other parts of the country as well because of the […]

Affinity groups: good for employees, good for business

When Tanuj Gupta joined AstraZeneca in 2006, he didn’t know many of his coworkers. “When I found out there were Employee Network Groups, I thought it was a great way to meet more people within the company,” says the executive director of external medical relations. And it was: “I met a fantastic group of people […]